National Milk Producers Federation members set legislative priorities at their board meeting last week in Washington, D.C. They included the need for passage of immigration reform legislation, a fix to the Margin Protection Program in the farm bill, and passage of the Dairy Pride Act requiring the FDA to enforce dairy product labels. The Federation’s Chris Galen says topping the list was renegotiation of NAFTA and protecting gains in the agreement.

He says negotiators need to be careful how they approach the redo of NAFTA, particularly with Mexico, which has already started sourcing ag products like pork and corn from other countries.

Galen says NAFTA re-negotiations must, however, address Canada’s unfair dairy pricing system because its undercutting U.S. dairy.

Galen says Federation members made over 200 hill visits, with 60 of their young producer members speaking with elected officials.